Daily Devotion – The Palm Sunday
Written by Sunny Unachi on 24th March 2024
Scripture: John 12:12–19
‘The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’, ‘Blessed is the king of Israel!’’ (Vv 12–13)
Today is Palm Sunday. It marks the first day of Holy week, the days leading us to Easter. This is the most significant week in the Christian calendar. It moves from apparent tragic loss to glorious victory. Today, the incarnate Jesus enters Jerusalem for the final time. The city’s filled with people getting ready to celebrate Passover. Unusually, Jesus makes a grand entrance and is warmly greeted by the festival goers. Riding on a donkey he is welcomed as the long anticipated king and saviour of the Jews. Indeed he is the Saviour, but not as anticipated. The Jews wanted a new Maccabeus, the warrior priest who freed the Jews from Seleucid rule. They wanted rid of the Romans. Jesus chose a donkey, not a warhorse, indicating he was a different kind of saviour, come to rescue us from our real enemy; ourselves and our wayward choices.
What sort of Saviour do we need this Easter? It will depend on our life challenges. It’s easy to imagine our way to freedom, but such assumptions often prove no more than fantasies. Jesus will demonstrate that only by obedience to God’s wisdom contained within the Bible can anyone hope to break their chains of slavery. As we get ready to celebrate Easter, let’s ensure we prepare in a way that will set us free from the anxieties that all too easily control us and dictate our life’s direction. When the music fades away and the excitement passes, will we remain faithful to living God’s way?
Today Consider that as we begin a journey to Pentecost, like the first disciples, our experience of life will be uncertain and we need God’s assurance. Decide to commit yourself to this pilgrimage discovering God’s grace daily.
So our Action today is to make our prayerful commitment to seek our Saviour and find freedom from the chains that bind us.
Prayer: ‘Lord, I choose to commit myself to journey to Pentecost in anticipation of new freedom and a fresh outpouring of your Spirit. Amen’.
